


everything is tinted with you

by softtofustew



Category: Day6 (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Day6 - Freeform, Fluff, Jaehyungparkian, M/M, buskers!jaebri, like absolute fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-06
Updated: 2018-09-06
Packaged: 2019-07-07 17:08:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,984
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15912615
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/softtofustew/pseuds/softtofustew
Summary: inseparable best friends jae and brian make up their two-man band, busking down the streets of california, hopeful, wistful. it’s only when they’re scouted at a busking that they realise how many years they’ve missed out on being together.





	everything is tinted with you

**Author's Note:**

> title: you by day6 (unreleased song) // this is actually one of my favourite jaehyungparkians to write so far. song lyrics used throughout this one-shot are all from day6 songs. i do hope you enjoy!!!!
> 
> ps: to avoid confusion, jae and brian are buskers in cali. DAWN3 is sungjin, wonpil and dowoon, a band from south korea. capiche? capiche. enjoy.

“bro, shut _up_ already!” jae shushes his best friend, his bandmate, as he flicks the volume up on his phone. beside him, brian’s flopped onto the couch, crunching on potato chips - his head lays on jae’s lap, legs sprawled across and over the couch edge. live music blasts from jae’s cell phone in his hand.

“i’m not even speak-”

“-shh!” jae persists, before cupping the edge of his phone. _the best part of the set_ , jae thinks, as he puts the stream at max volume, enough for the drum beats to resonate throughout the cramped living room, all boxes unpacked, television-less; enough for park sungjin’s voice to ring in his ears, voice raw yet gentle all at once, stretched so thin yet full of emotion.

even brian’s stopped chewing. a blanket of silence envelopes the two as they sit in awe, allowing the rough guitar riffs and heavy chords rush in. one of their favourites: DAWN3’s _somehow_. brian mouths the lyrics - he knows every single one of their songs by heart - to himself. at one point, he glimpses up to catch jae smiling down at him, one hand holding out the phone, the other smoothing brian’s hair.

he’s caught off guard, but only for a mere split second, for the song ends, the screams fill the stream, and jae clicks his phone shut. “damn,” he murmurs, still mesmerised. “did you hear that, man-”

“-he fucking hit that high note, man. i _swear_ i thought his voice was gonna tear-”

“-is your bias _still_ sungjin?” jae smirks down at him, an eyebrow arched. brian rolls his eyes back at him.

“obviously. dude, just look at him: full package,” brian sighs deeply, an arm thrown over his eyes overdramatically. the tips of his fingers brush lightly against the hem of jae’s sweatshirt. he almost admonishes himself for noticing that - he chooses to ignore it. “the whole visual, his big arse smile, his voice, the way he strums effortlessly and sings so raw? please, jae, i don’t get why your bias is still wonpil-”

“-woah, i’m going to stop you there,” jae laughs, his arm retreating - brian whines playfully at the loss of contact. jae chuckles again, his fingers now scratching the back of his friend’s ear. (brian insists he has an ear-scratching kink. jae complies.) “i’m not barrelling into that fanwar after the last one we had. and, besides, dowoon is pretty fucking incredible, too, so i’m torn.”

brian grins up at jae. closing his eyes, he mutters under his breath, “what we would give to go to their concert, man.”

“i’d sell, like, this whole apartment. we could live on the streets, busk for some money in the day, i could be a sugar baby at night, my man,” jae jokes, his voice light and teasing as he traces circles along brian’s neck, now. “save up the money, and finally never miss when they tour here next time.”

brian hums in response. his eyes are shut, daydreaming; in the darkness, he imagines the dream materialising before him, the crowds around him as jae and him scream their lungs out, screeching every lyric and headbanging to the beat. he imagines jae turning to him, sweaty hair matted on his forehead, eyes full of stars, lips pulled into the hugest of smiles - he cracks a small smile himself.

“shit, what time is it?” jae abruptly breaks the moment. brian frowns.

“you’ve got a phone in your hand, dumbass,” brian retorts. (jae flicks his nose, causing him to yelp.)

“yeah, yeah- fuck,” he grumbles. “10 already. we still haven’t had dinner.”

brian shrugs under him. “i had chips.”

“chips aren’t a meal, bribri,” jae counters, snarky, but all the while has a huge grin across his face. jae almost shoves brian off of him, grunting under the weight of his friend. “get off me, man. one of us needs to boil the water. ramen good?”

brian grumbles, gradually rolling onto the floor, cheek pressed against the carpet of the living room. “fine,” he pouts, “be back quick though.”

jae laughs, scrambles to his feet. he’s dressed in a loose white t-shirt, the one brian likes, specifically because it kind of pretty much shows off the boy’s neckline, lanky arms; the grey sweatpants are a pretty touch, he thinks. cute.

“of course i’ll be back quick. we need to sleep earlier; we’ve got a busking tomorrow, you forgot?” jae reminds him. brian’s eyes widen.

“shit. yeah,” he murmurs, all of a sudden hurrying to stand up. “yeah, you boil water, i’ll drop the ramen in, good?”

“leave me to scald my palm, sure,” jae rolls his eyes, but when brian looks out of the corner of his eye, he catches the ghost of a grin on the former’s lips as they traipse into the kitchen, one arm thrown over the other’s shoulder.

 

**_______________**

 

for a year now, the routine’s practically clockwork: wake up, breakfast, jae yelling a “see you later, sucker!” before promptly heading out for his part-time job at a nearby record store, leaving brian to do whatever, ranging from grocery shopping to jerking off in his room. (brian swears it’s  normal - living with such a hot best friend drives him crazy.)

when jae stumbles back home, arms full of takeaway, they’ll sprawl themselves across the couch, eat sloppy chinese food over music blasted from jae’s phone, perhaps practise the set - honestly, they know all the lyrics of their favourite songs by heart, sometimes they show up at buskings with no plan: just a guitar, a bass and two amps. the two usually busk for a couple of hours, head off for dinner; at times they have double buskings, some at night in a club.

in their opinion, they don’t really care - they just play the set, and pray for the best.

today, brian’s just finished setting the table when the front door swings wide open, bringing along the mid-autumn chill. jae trips over his feet as he appears at the kitchen doorway, one hand gripping the bag of japanese takeaway. “fuck,” he involuntarily curses, before plopping the food onto the counter. he slides into a seat with a groan, shutting his eyes tight.

brian’s lips turn downwards. “what’s wrong?” he asks.

“caught a fucking _thief_ in the store today,” jae grumbles. he leans back on the chair, an arm thrown over his eyes in exasperation. brian hates seeing jae like this; frustrated, complaintitive about his work. he shuffles over the other side until he’s stood behind jae. he raises his hands, placing them the expanse of jae’s back, and massages him.

brian knows jae’s ending point - circling that sweet spot always so tensed up in jae’s back. when he does find it, jae groans out so loud in bliss. if they weren’t best friends, brian would’ve swivelled him around and kissed him, hard. he restrains himself, instead tuning into jae’s rambling.

“... and the worst fucking thing? he tried to run away, dude. i’m just _so_ fucking glad he didn’t have, like, a gun or some shit. no one would’ve saved me, and i could be in hospital right now with a bloody hip or something,” he babbles on and on, mouth running miles a minute.

the other simply tucks a strand of hair over jae’s eye behind, smiling down fondly at jae. “i swear: we’ll get out of this shithole the second we can. we’ll be the best two-man band out there, and you’ll never have to deal with thieving assholes at record stores anymore, and i’ll never have to deal with constantly counting and recounting our money before buying your foam cleanser anymore. does that sound good to you, babe?”

jae’s stunned - hell, brian hadn’t wanted it to slip - and glimpses upwards slightly to face brian glancing down. for a moment, they stay like this. awkwardness lingers in the air. brian’s shaky eyes search jae’s, those dark pupils blown wide in surprise. before brian can say anything else, however, jae chuckles. he pats brian’s arm affectionately, his lips pulled upwards. “yeah. sounds good. now sit your ass down and eat, we’ve got our talent to show off in an hour, _babe_.”

brian tries to hide it, but he’s flushed red throughout the rest of the one hour until they arrive at the coffee shop, where they play the set: this time, some DAWN3 acoustic covers, an english version of _this song_ , and an original by jae, _better man_. they get tips, get some polite applause, but brian’s heart still stutters at the remembrance of his promise to jae.

to dream is one. to start the engine down the road to it is another.

 

**______________**

 

tonight’s skies are overcast with the brightest of stars, a telltale sign of something good down their path, or so brian believes. they’re strolling side-by-side, an earphone in jae’s ear and another in brian’s, a familiar tune playing blissfully. a breeze kicks up, ruffling their hair. brian chuckles as jae messes his hair up further, the boy’s black roots visible amongst the dyed blond strands.

they’d dropped by the apartment to set down their stuff before they’d made it for dinner. the set was pretty good today, and whilst brian doesn’t want to push it, his heart is pumping with the exhilaration of things heading down the good path paved with fortune. at least they’re finally getting somewhere.

with that in mind, the memory of jae blips into brian’s head: how he’d first seen the boy, oversized hoodie and ripped jeans, sitting at the bench alone, the guitar in his arms, fingers plucking a tune so familiar to brian. even then, even that first time, brian had caught jae in the moment, all lithe body and concentrated and transcendent on the college campus.

brian wonders if he hadn’t strolled up to jae, hadn’t asked, “is that DAWN3?”, hadn’t received that gracious smile in response - brian wonders where the hell he’d be now. would he still be shuffling down the pavement, jae’s hand in brian’s coat pocket (“it’s too fucking cold to be fall,” jae had protested while slipping a hand into the hole of the fabric.)? would he still be hearing this same melody in the coldest of autumn evenings with this person he called his best friend, his best bandmate?

“someone’s looking philosophical,” jae teases, snapping brian out of his daze. brian tilts his head to face jae. the light from the overhead streetlamps plays with the grin across jae’s face. “what’s on your mind?”

 _you_.

“nothing,” brian lies through his teeth, shrugging. the song streaming through the earphones ends, followed by another, DAWN3’s hit single, _when you love someone_. the cymbals, the drum, the chords, the melody. set in place, flowing like a river.

a sort of warmth blooms in brian’s chest, and the more he stares at jae, the more the flower blossoms, so much so he turns to glimpse at the road. cars whiz by, fast, rapid, ripping through the hush of the night. across the street, he catches a reflection of the two of them in a shop window, until he realises _jae’s_ staring at the window, too. their eyes meet in the reflection, a silent conversation.

_hi._

_hey yourself._

“bribri,” jae’s voice cracks. brian peers at jae, face to face.

brian swallows down the nerves. “yeah?”

“can you walk faster? i’m freezing my ass off,” jae whines. brian feels his stomach plummeting to the ground.

 _snap out of it already_.

brian only returns a smile, before escaping from jae’s grip on his coat. he hurriedly makes a mad dash down the walkway, leaving jae in the dust. he can hear the voice behind him screeching “kang younghyun, you stop there right now!” and erupts into peals of laughter as he squeaks to a stop. he watches on as jae runs over, his long legs stomping against the walkway, a mix of a clumsy chicken and a normal human being. he screams as jae pounces onto him, poking his sides, all the while giggling as brian screeches.

“mercy! mercy!” brian yells, out of breath, his laughter mixed with his ferocious shrieks. jae can only laugh, tickling his friend’s sides in the wilderness of the quiet night, broken by their sidewalk antics.

it’s a blur of limbs as jae pushes brian up against the wall of a grocery store, the brick cold and hard against brian’s back. their laughter subsides, brian reducing to a small fit of chuckles, jae suppressing his snickers. the earphones lay on the gravel ground under them, spilling past brian’s coat pocket.

they regain consciousness of the moment, and jae smiles down at brian - and brian’s terrified. he’s _terrified_ , because jae’s arms are caging him in and jae’s hair is falling past his eyes, giving off this hauntingly beautiful look, because jae’s face is _this_ close to him - he’s terrified.

their chests heave as they catch their breath. brian’s heart thumps especially hard against his chest as jae leans in, hot breath over brian’s face. their eyes scan each other, the bewildered expression on brian’s, the cheerful, laidback one on jae’s. they stay like that for seconds, minutes, hours, days - brian doesn’t know, doesn’t want to know as jae laughs dryly, eyes glittering.

“y-yah,” jae manages to blurt, still breathless. his left eye twitches as his grin widens. “d-don’t leave me like that, man. you know i hate running,” he finishes. his right hand moves down the wall, skin brushing brian’s own arm. the burning sensation in brian’s chest intensifies, spreading throughout every fibre of his very being.

brian’s lips move to speak, but his heart stops as jae buries his head against the crook of brian’s neck, sweaty hair pressed against the skin there. the boy’s arms lay still by his sides as jae’s move to grip the other’s hips, loose. his breathing quickens, his heart racing once again.

jae’s lips barely graze the skin of brian’s collarbones as he speaks. “now i’m so tiiired,” he complains, before lifting his head to meet brian’s gaze. the latter is shocked still, quiet as jae ruffles brian’s hair, making a mess of it playfully, exactly like a childish boy. _a boy he’s in absolute love with._ the realisation of it crashes into brian, waves tremendous, strong, one after another as jae pokes his tongue out at him tauntingly.

_why now?_

“c’mon, get your arse moving,” jae grumbles, tugging on brian’s sleeve, pulling him along. “it’s too cold for exercising, why couldn’t we take the taxi back?” he bends down to retrieve their earphone, before sticking one in brian’s ear. the voice, clear as crystal, rings out in a trance.

 

_when you love someone_

_so much that it overflows_

_it’s so amazing_

_because this is how it is_

 

**_______________**

 

brian kind-of-sort-of remembers the exact moment they’d decided to form their two-man band: how jae had crawled onto the bed the second he’d stepped into brian’s bedroom about two years back, mumbling and grumbling over uni applications and whatnot. brian was sat at the study desk, biting down the end of his pencil as he watched jae make a mess of the boy’s bedspread.

“it’s so fucking _practical_ ,” he grouched noisily, crossing his arms as he sat up, facing brian. “like, me? a lawyer? i swear, if my parents knew i stole that pack of gummy bears two years back, i could be in juvenile jail right now, and i wouldn’t mind one fucking bit,” he added, pouting. his lips were full, pink from chewing on his lower lip too much in frustration. brian licked his own lips.

“how about taking a gap year and thinking about it?” brian tried, setting the pencil down. he stared as jae shrugged, half-interested.

“i don’t wanna talk about it now,” jae jutted in, and brian could only roll his eyes. with that, jae took his phone out of the back pocket of his jeans, and within seconds, a tune filled the expanse of brian’s bedroom, the notes reverberating throughout the space. brian closed his eyes, letting the chords play, heavy, wonpil’s voice sweet yet firm as the melody began.

 

_all right, you spent your day being so cautious_

_but just push aside your work and just follow me_

_all right, under the starlight, drive with me tonight_

_feel the wind passing through your fingers_

 

as the pre-chorus started up, jae set the phone down, then clambering off of the bed. before brian could protest, jae grabbed at his friend’s hands, lifting him to his feet. “i don’t care where we gooo, it doesn’t matter if it’s not faaaar!” jae sang brilliantly - and brian had to grin. his friend’s voice had always been saccharine, with the right pitching and tone. he could sing anything, from acoustic ballads to pop songs to rap rock, and it always amazed brian.

“i just like this moment of leaving-”

“-i don’t care if it’s not for looooong,” jae chants, voice spot-on, pervading the entire room. brian laughed, the two of them now in a play-waltz, feet stepping over each other’s, fingers intertwined as they tried twirling in the cramped room. their footsteps played on time with the drum beat, and before either could process what was taking place, they fell - collapsed onto the bed, screaming with laughter as brian toppled over jae’s body.

“shit!” jae groaned under brian’s weight. brian blurted apologies in between laughter. he lifted jae up, only for their legs to entangle. they fell again, now half of jae’s body spread across brian’s legs, skin against skin. they laughed again at the futility of the situation.

when brian grinned at jae, his heart suddenly turned tables - jae’s eyes were bright, almost animated, small and beady yet wide with glee. slowly, brian set jae beside him on the bed, and there they laid side-by-side, facing each other, smiles plastered onto their faces.

 

_it doesn’t matter if it rains_

_it doesn’t matter if we get wet,_

_i just like this moment of dancing_

 

“holy shit,” jae suddenly cursed, startling brian. in the heat of the moment, jae cupped brian’s cheeks, pure excitement etched across his face. “oh my god, brian, i got it!”

that was the first time he’d ever felt his heart stammering, shaking, almost like it was being torn apart. the warmth of jae’s palms, the slender fingers against his skin. _too much, not enough._ “w-what?”

 

_it doesn’t matter if we stay up all night,_

_there’s no one to care about_

_tonight, we’ll be together under that sky_

 

“two-guy band. you and i. you play bass, right?” jae’s giddy, hands shaking against brian’s cheeks. “we’re going to be phenomenal. take a gap year with me. see where we go. fuck uni. fuck parents. let’s fuck it all up and go. you and me.”

brian hadn’t realised then how monumental that moment was, when he stared at jae, a silent ‘yes’ forming on his lips. he’d say it a thousand times more for jae’s eyes to shine as brightly as they ever had, angelic. in the moment.

 

_so be free, just think that it’s just us._

 

**_______________**

 

“you’ve been zoning out a lot tonight. you good?” jae chuckles as he enters the bedroom, towel in his hand, blond hair dark with water droplets. he’s dressed sleeveless, basketball shorts low on his lips. brian’s trying to read his comic book, focusing on the images, but they’re a blur before him.

_a boy i’m in absolute love with_

“yeah, totally,” brian mutters back, gripping the pages tighter.

“then why’re you reading the comic upside down?”

 _dammit_ , brian thinks as he flips the book around. “the words were printed upside down.”

a tinkling laugh resounds from jae, and brian curses inwardly at how melodious it sounds, the voice smooth and velvety, almost sexy. jae slides into the bed, snuggling up close to brian, close enough to hear the hummingbird of brian’s heart flittering against his chest if he leans in close enough. “that’s the worst lie i’ve heard from you so far, fair kang. what’s up?” jae questions. he lets the towel rest around his neck, his fingers fidgeting. a habit.

brian frowns at his book. “it’s nothing.”

jae frowns, too. “is it about our busking tomorrow? the one at san fran? the huge ass one with a shit ton of people hearing us?” he presses, so close that brian can sniff the mint from the boy’s toothpaste.

“something like that,” brian replies - it’s not that big of a lie, honestly. tomorrow’s the make or break - san francisco, all the crowds surrounding them in the middle of the wide walkways. anyone could be in the crowd, a scouting agent, someone, _something_. brian’s not necessarily nervous about it; that’s what their previous buskings have been preparing them for.

jae sighs, leaning in. he places his head on brian’s broad shoulder, his hair slightly tickling the other’s nose. the younger bites down on his lower lip, hard enough for it to bleed. (thank god, it doesn’t. he thinks death by lip bleeding might be better than this sheer torture, though.) “brian, you have, like, the best voice ever. there’s nothing to be nervous about. we’ve played in front of dozens of people before, shit, remember when we got caught by mr randit back in sophomore year? we’ve been through hell and back.”

brian chuckles emotionlessly at the memory of them getting caught red-handed trying to pull the fire bell to escape their calculus test the next period. “yeah,” he answers quietly.

“c’mon, babe, you can’t tell me you’re nervous,” jae cooes, tilting his head upwards to peer at brian. “if you’re nervous, i’m going to be in full-blown panic attack in the middle of _freely_ . that’s our anthem, man. we’re 1519, we’re pheno- _fucking_ -menal.”

beside him, brian sits, silent. sighing, jae resorts to lifting his arm, intertwining his left hand with brian’s right, fingers slender and calloused together. brian blinks at their hands. his blood pounds violently through his vessels, hot and cold all at once as jae’s thumb draws circles against brian’s skin. _holy shit._

“bribri, don’t be nervous, okay?” jae says softly, almost crooning. “you’re seriously incredible. it’s all going to go great, trust me.”

they stay like this, hands wrapped together, fingertips touching, and as the minutes tick by, jae subdues to a fit of long intakes of breath, punctuated by soft snores. brian aches, longing to press his lips on jae’s forehead, whisper him ‘good night’ - and he does, daringly, his heartbeat in his throat as his lips skim the skin so gently, feather-light. that night, as he falls asleep, he dreams of kissing someone he’s loved for a long, long time.

 

**_______________**

 

the first time they’d busked was in early spring last year, the seeds set the season before barely sprouting as they set up outside several shops at a wide main area, chairs borrowed from the cafe opposite. brian fumbled, the wire shaky in his hands as he plugged in the amp. beside him, jae smoothed the boy’s back.

“calm down, bro. you’re shivering,” he soothed softly, and amidst the panic, brian heard the lightness of jae’s voice, felt it slowing his nerves down just the slightest bit. when jae’s parents had first heard of the plan, they’d frowned disapprovingly, but the sight of A-star, ‘i-skipped-second-grade’ brian kang joining in on the plan prevented a nagging from either of them. they’d been practising for forever in jae’s garage, crooning sweet acoustic covers and belting out pop rock harmonies to no one but the metal door of the shed.

they’d even moved out of their houses to prove to their parents the determination and passion in their hopeful music career and had moved in together, a small apartment with only a mere bedroom and a squeezy bathroom barely fitting jae’s long legs - but they’d come so far.

here they were: first door to knock on for opportunity. for life.

brian nodded grimly, fingers still trembling a little as he picked up his bass. jae smiled as they stood upright. the mics were fixed on the stands before them, and jae stepped forward to retrieve it. “testing, testing,” he murmured into the mic. his voice, low, streamed from the speaker, catching the attention of several passers-by. some strolled past, but an elderly couple paused, and another teen pulled an earphone out of one ear.

jae cleared his throat. “uh, afternoon, folks. i’m jae, and this is brian.” with that, he gestured to brian, and he did an awkward wave. “we’re a two-guy band, and we call ourselves by 1519, mainly because that’s our birthdays.” he coughed a little. “yeah, we couldn’t really think of anything.”

a nearby young couple snickered into their fists, disguising them as a fit of coughs. brian’s expression faltered.

noticing the stillness of the moment, jae added, “well, we’ll be playing a set for the city today, mainly DAWN3 and other acoustic covers. hope you enjoy,” he finished, before placing the mic back onto the stand and taking his seat next to brian. “that was tough,” he hissed into brian’s ears, and brian would’ve laughed if jae hadn’t abruptly strummed the guitar.

at the sound of the strings, more people turned heads. brian almost cowered under their looks, but jae steadied him, palm flat against his back. “calm,” he whispered across to him, before glancing back down at his guitar. he plucked quietly, the amp picking it up, the tune resonating throughout the area.

out of the corner of his eye, brian caught jae grinning at him. _okay. do this for him. for us._ he parted his lips. and sang.

 

_when you called me after midnight_

_asking me to pick you up_

_as if i was waiting, i ran to you_

_this isn’t the first time_

_why am i doing this?_

_i keep getting dragged around_

 

a nearby girl’s eyebrows shot up. _she definitely knows this one_ , brian thought. he cracked a smile to himself. jae began the pre-chorus, smile radiant. the sunshine cast down bounces off of the sharp planes of his face, the slope of his nose, his strong jaw.

 

_i don’t know, i don’t know,_

_i don’t know why i’m doing this,_

_however you treat me, i accept it all baby_

 

more and more passers-by squeaked to a halt before them. a circle of a small crowd surrounded them. however, instead of feeling shy, brian belted out his part, voice unwavering, strong and colourful.

 

_but today, you’re pushing me away_

_these games of push and pull, stop it baby,_

_i think i’m crazy, this isn’t right_

 

their fingers fly across the fingerboards as they hit their high at the chorus, jae practically bouncing on his seat, glimpsing at brian from time to time. brian knocks his knee teasingly with jae’s. jae laughs in between his notes, tapping his foot against brian’s.

 

_i think i’m crazy, this isn’t right_

_ooh ooh_

_i think i’m out of my mind, this isn’t right_

_ooh ooh_

 

the rest of the set was a blur, and they couldn’t come down from their high, ever, especially when people cheered at the end, shouting, “encore! encore!” and tips thrown into the tin box jae had jokingly placed on the ground close to their guitar cases. when they returned home that evening, jae had hugged brian tight, pulled him in close and whispering sweet “thank you”’s into the lovestruck boy’s ears for the rest of the night.

 

**_______________**

 

“that’s a ton of people,” jae whistles as they stroll down the walkway of shops the following day. the circular area is flanked with shops on all sides, people milling up and down under the sunday sunshine. brian grips his case, slung over one shoulder, tighter. the familiar flurry of nerves returns, spreading slowly and surely throughout his body. noticing his apprehensive expression, jae sighs and squeezes brian’s other shoulder. “calm, man. calm down.”

“i’m chill, i’m so chill it’s fucking winter,” brian hisses through gritted teeth. they halt under the central tree, towering over them, marking x on the map of the open shopping area. even as the words leave brian’s lips, he feels his fingers trembling ever so slightly as he sets the case down. jae arches an eyebrow at him.

there’s a bench under the tree, so they decide to make full use of it. within minutes, the familiarity of the set-up pours from their fingertips, from plugging in the amps, adjusting the mics, to tuning the guitar, the bass. as brian seats himself down, he feels jae beside him, their arms brushing against each other when jae props himself up.

a handful of passers-by let their gaze wander towards the direction of the two boys. brian glimpses at his outfit, wondering if he’s underdressed for eh busking. he had been contemplating what to wear, had settled for a simple grey sweatshirt and black jeans, because jae said, and he quotes, “you look pretty damn good in those jeans, man - when we debut you’re gonna have all the gals over you.” a part of him fizzes at the remembrance of the moment.

the more confident of the two, jae leans into the mic. “testing, testing.” this catches more people’s attention - brian’s reminded of their first busking again. “hello, well, good afternoon, san fran. I’m jae, this is brian, and we’re a two-guy band. we present ourselves as 1519.” he shows off his lazy, lopsided grin, and brian almost melts (and so does the gaggle of girls lingering close by, whispering behind their phones and pointing at jae. brian can’t help but agree.)

“we’re going to play a couple of songs for you folks today. hope you enjoy.” with that, jae taps his foot against brian, what a playful gesture has conformed into a “begin, bribri.” brian clears his throat. picks lightly at the strings.

the tune reverberates throughout the centre. brian drives the anxiety of the eyes on him away, instead brushing his hair out of his eyes with a flick of his head, before smiling softly to himself. (this one’s a favourite.)

 

_every day i lived_

_like i was dead_

_but you_

 

his voice streams quiet, fluid, amplified tremendously. beside him, jae nudges him teasingly. brian casts a sideways glance at his friend, chuckling soundlessly as jae pouts at him. _i told you so. i told you you’d be fine._

 

_became the reason_

_for me to get up_

_once more_

_you made me wanna open my eyes_

 

in this moment, brian thinks jae’s transcendent: all angel-like, voice absolutely euphonious. he’s caught staring at the boy’s lips against the mic, and jae’s eyes widen slightly, as if to ask _why? something on my face?_ before brian can reply however, the chorus hits high and almighty.

 

_just your smile alone_

_makes me breathe_

_because of you, i’m_

_better better_

_better, baby_

 

jae grins widely, eyes shut close as he tilts his head back, a quiet “get it, brian!” hissing through brian’s head, whizzing straight as an arrow for his heart. brian giggles.

 

_only your love_

_makes the frozen me_

_jump up again_

_higher, higher_

_higher, baby_

 

whilst the acoustic version the two have arranged is almost nothing compared to the sheer perfection of DAWN3’s original, both of them sing at the tops of their lungs, nudging each other tauntingly in between, catching each other off-guard. the audience around them is transfixed, watching on as the two put on a show for them.

jae strums, and the key changes, surprising the audience. from then on, they skyrocket - they play everything, from DAWN3’s ‘how can i say’ and ‘freely’, before they lower it down to a soothing rendition of ‘yesterday’. the crowd bursts into an absolute craze the second brian purses his lips together into a thin line, the sound protruding from them like a trumpet, and jae giggles uncontrollably out of the mic’s range.

throughout the set, brian is lost in the moment. they always immerse themselves into their songs, but never has it been as mesmerising as today. whatever nerves in his fibres dissipates into thin air. jae taps brian’s foot in between low notes; brian points out the odd person in the crowd with the most hilarious expression in between songs.

to top it all off, they croon through their original, one brian had hastily penned down some midnights ago, the lyrics sketchy, the tune shaky - but when he’d handed it to jae the following morning, jae had scanned the page, stared at brian, back the paper, back at brian. had hugged him tight, the heat of his body leaving a searing burn in brian’s heart. “it’s perfect.”

brian hadn’t told jae the entire truth: that he hadn’t been able to sleep, had crawled out of the sheets and listened to his best friend’s breathing, the wanting growing and growing, a bud blossoming into full bloom in his chest. had poured everything out in ink and paper. _a song for you._

 

_stop it,_

_our awkward relationship is frustrating_

_feels closer though it’s far away_

_yeah, it’s you_

 

_my day feels different_

_eh eh eh_

_i’m filled with you_

_eh eh eh_

 

_although i closed my eyes_

_i can still see you_

_everything is tinted with you_

 

the words rise and fall, a slope up and down, bright and cheerful as jae strums the guitar gracefully, head thrown back. yet the teasing touches have ceased, and when brian tears his gaze from the audience to the other, he’s almost frozen shocked: the way jae beams at him, eyes hidden behind those rose-gold rimmed glasses, not a word from the boy. his smile is radiant, but something glints off of the boy’s eyes, before disappearing.

 

_i think i’m crazy_

_from the moment i first saw you_

_i think i’m crazy_

_i want you because i’m craving you, baby_

 

their voices trail off at the end, a bit of a dramatic long stretch. as they lower their instruments, the crowd goes wild: they cheer, clap, the same gaggle of girls squeal excitedly. the praises fall onto the both of them modestly. with that, jae casually links their hands together, before lifting them and dragging brian into a deep bow. brian tries not to let the blush rush straight to his cheeks.

as the sea of people begin to break apart, several step forward, dropping cash and coins into the empty biscuit tin. the jitters of the performance races rapidly through brian’s veins even as they begin to pack up, stowing away the mic and mic stands, packing their instruments. he can’t come down from the high of the moment, can’t fathom the dazed look in jae’s irises staring wide-eyed at him, fond, as if he had stolen all the stars in the sky and shone them through his eyes.

“um, excuse me.” the voice is unfamiliar, deep, velvety. baffled, the two of them turn heads to face a man, somewhere in his late thirties, hair slicked back, dressed to the nines in a fitting dress shirt and pressed slacks. a briefcase lies in his hand.

jae runs a hand through his hair. “well, hello. how may we help you?” he asks smoothly.

the man offers a grin, softening the tense features across his face. “i’m sorry if this sounds abrupt, but i’m actually a representative from JYPE, and i was wondering…” his voice trickles away, as if hinting the two of them to allow the gravity of the words to sink deeper and deeper-

“wait, wait, hold up,” jae stutters, spluttering like a volcano awoken from a long slumber. “JYPE? as in the company? who debuted-”

“-DAWN3?” brian finishes. his voice is one of bewilderment, his eyebrows shooting up. this can’t be happening - his palms are clammy, unconsciously clutching onto the hem of jae’s shirt.

a bemused look shadows the man’s face. “well, yes. in fact, the two of you covered them splendidly, if not practically perfectly. how long have the two of you been busking?”

“about a year and a half now,” jae answers. his head is still spinning with the realisation of all this. “are you sure you’re not kidding us? you’re all the way from south korea? _what_?”

upon jae’s confusion, the man laughs warmly, voice tinkling in the autumn breeze just beginning to stir. “i’m the californian representative. and yes, i’m legit. by the way,” he reaches into his shirt pocket, fishing for something, “are the both of you korean? i’m merely guessing, so i’m sorry if i’m wrong. correct me otherwise.”

“we are.” brian finds his voice, though he notices how badly it wavers in trepidation. “just… born and raised here.”

“mmhm, hear y’all,” the man replies thoughtfully. with that, his arm stretches out, a laminated card in his fingertips. “i still need to settle confirmations, but if anything, think over it. and contact me. i know passion when i see it,” he adds, before grinning brightly. he waves at them, pats jae’s shoulder, before taking off.

the two of them stand rooted to the ground, their eyes hypnotised to stare at the card.

_bernard park, JYPE representative._

“holy-”

“-fucking-”

“-shit,” jae chews down on his lower lip. the corners of his eyes glisten - are those _tears_ ? “brian, hyunnie, we did it, holy shit, we did it, we fucking _did_ it,” he rambles on and on, before throwing his arms around a startled brian. his arms wrap around brian’s neck, hands skimming his back. the heat of their bodies intensifies as brian embraces in return, and it’s the first time he hears jae’s heart jittery, shaking and bending against where their chests align.

 

_i think we’re crazy._

**________________**

 

it’s only a week later when brian takes jae out - not a date. no. or maybe it _will_ be a date, if brian gathers his balls and doesn’t chicken out at the last second. the momentum of the past week has been beyond powerful, the realisation still not quite settled into their skin just yet.

yet.

brian’s sat here, in his parents’ car he’d borrowed for the night, jae in the passenger seat, two weeks before they fly off and away from the nest of california, soar with the wind passing under their wings to south korea. the flowers are laid inconspicuously in the backseat, a blanket carelessly thrown over it. he hadn’t even had to come up with a lie; jae simply clambered into the vehicle, long legs tucking in, hair flopping past his forehead. (“so. where to, younghyun?”)

he feels somewhat stupid, slightly overdressed in a shirt, sleeves rolled up to his elbows, jeans stretching over his thighs. jae’s only in a tee and ripped jeans, and brian keeps having to avert his gaze back to the road - driving with _that_ skin exposed like that? absolutely illegal, brian muses.

a day prior, jae had suggested heading for a movie, and so brian had formulated his plan from there onwards - “hey, how about back to the future? they’re screening it at, y’know, one of those car drive-in outdoor theatres?” - and jae being jae had complied, his only wish being them having a bucketful of salted popcorn.

 _so_. here they are. the bucket of popcorn lays in between the both of them, the gears slightly in the way, but they make do. the dark sky above them glitters with stars. before them, the screen plays, the scene playing shows off marty bewildered at the prospect of his own mum in the past flirting with him. it’s hilarious, really, and jae’s chuckling away, eyes crinkled in the corners.

 _when_ is the question, brian thinks.

his eyes stray away from the screen, instead focusing on the bucket between them. he watches those pretty fingers scrunching to grab a handful, before jae shoves the popcorn into his mouth, crunching noisily - a habit, one which brian has long become accustomed to.

brian’s own hand stays lingering about the mouth of the bucket, and the next time jae reaches for more popcorn, brian’s fingers hurriedly latch onto jae’s pinky.

stunned, jae’s head snaps towards brian. “brian, what are you-”

brian intertwines his fingers in jae’s, and the thing that keeps him going is jae is _letting_ him; he doesn’t utter a word as their hands link above the bucket, greasy from the salted snack, but the warmth of each other sends shivers down brian’s back. “jae.”

“yeah?” jae hums. “what’s up?”

calm. calm. calm. “jae, look, i-”

“-i like you-”

“-like you. fuck. _what_?”

a shudder runs through his body, tip to toe of brian’s entire being as jae laughs, the grip on brian’s hand tighter. the sound of jae’s laugh, loud and obnoxious now, only creates wave upon wave of heat crashing against brian, licking like flames at the tips of his fingers. “you’ve only been obvious, like, more than two dozen times. kiss me, you idiot.”

when brian doesn’t move, jae sighs, rolls his eyes. “i have to do everything, don’t i?” he teases, and before any of the words input into brian’s addled head, jae tugs on their linked hands. brian jerks forward, and their lips crash against each other, slightly uncomfortably from the sudden pressure. brian almost screams out loud. _park jaehyung_ is kissing him. it feels like something out of a novel, the way jae’s hands reach out to cup brian’s cheeks, thumbs rubbing back and forth against the skin as their lips find their rhythm, their melody.

white noise fills brian’s head as he kisses back with just as much ferocity, his fingers gripping jae’s slender shoulders. the gears get in the way, but, as said - they make do. brian’s eyelids flutter shut, drowning in the now, the present, and in the many more kisses to follow. bravely, he lets his tongue glide along jae’s full lower lip, flushed pink - jae doesn’t disappoint, groaning so loudly brian swears the neighbouring cars can hear them.

“bri-” jae’s voice hitches slightly as they pull back for a bit. “-shit, you kiss _good_ , don’t tell me you’ve been dating someone behind my back-” brian pulls him in again, his chest inflating with every syllable of jae’s breathless words.

as brian presses open-mouthed kisses along jae’s jawline, he whispers, “never. perhaps one or two flings. i’ve always been in love with you. took me long enough to realise.”

“you little idiot,” jae giggles, tone mellow and light as they close the distance again. they stay like this, until brian’s cheeks are streaked with grease, until the gears pressed against their hips leave bruises, until they finally break apart enough for jae to smile at brian. the stars are back, shimmering vividly in their void of dark irises.

as they catch their breath, jae leans forward, hand digging into his back pocket. “you know. i meant to perhaps show them to you when the movie ended, but since you started first-”

“-no. fucking. way.” brian can recognise the colours anywhere. two slips of paper are held out, presented right before his eyes. the letters splayed across them read: DAWN3 Youth World Tour. “no. no. you can’t-”

“-i talked to bernard,” jae cuts in, smile stretching from one end to another. “it’s three days after we touch down. incheon. it’s-”

“-i love you so fucking much, holy shit,” brian blabbers, a tear leaking from his eye as he leans in again, pecking jae’s cheek lightly, affection evident in his trembling tone. “jae park jaehyung, how are you alive?”

jae smirks. “am i really that charming? please, brian, i- woah, woah, okay, calm down,” he chuckles as brian hands grip jae’s hip over the gears, lips meeting the other’s. brian’s everything: relieved, ecstatic, exhilarated. in love. he hears the same from jae as he places a quivering palm over jae’s chest.

when brian presses closer, the buzzing insistent under his skin, he accidentally kicks the in-built cd player - DAWN3’s ‘man in a movie’ humming quietly as they (finally, in brian’s opinion. perhaps jae, too) kiss their love hello. _welcome. i hope you stay for long._

at one point, as they break apart to intake a deep breath of air, brian chuckles helplessly. “i can’t believe i got you carnations and you got me this. i guess i’ve got to step up my game-”

“-bro,” jae frowns. “did you forget that i’m allergic?”

“...oh.”

**_______________**

 

“holy shit, holy _shit_!” jae screeches, so loudly he almost rips brian’s eardrum. “that’s sungjin! a-and wonpil! and dowoon! dowoon! saranghae!”

beside him, brian wants to laugh, but his eyes are glued as the people, their biggest idols, strut up onto the stage. the light glaring off of them creates a sort of halo over them. sungjin runs a hand through his hair, a huge smile across his face as he steps up to centre mic. from behind the keyboard, wonpil is grinning widely, too, nose scrunched as he scans the crowd. dowoon takes his place at the drums, waving his drumsticks at the sea of people before them.

the sweat causes jae’s hair to stick matted across his forehead. his heart is beating so wildly; both of them are absolutely thrilled, blood running hot throughout their bodies as sungjin taps the mic. dowoon hits a beat. wonpil’s fingers run across the keyboard intricately.

within a split second, the two fanboys recognise the tune. the crowd goes bonkers, screams filling the hall as sungjin strums the chords to _my day_. at one point, in the chorus, when brian flicks his sight towards jae, he watches the mesmerised, dazed look across the boy’s face, eyes screwed shut, as if absorbing every ounce of the music being played right before them. in real life.

 

_hold onto me_

_my day is beautiful_

_because it’s filled with you_

_oh, you are my day_

 

brian’s heart thrums vibrantly under his skin as he reaches out, their fingers linking together. they’re high on the music, jae bouncing on his toes, brian screaming the lyrics. “oh! you! are! my! day!” from the stage, sungjin peers down slightly, and brian swears his heart halts when sungjin throws a wink at the both of them.

“-oh my god!” brian shrieks violently. tears almost pour from his eyes. “jae! did you-”

“-he _winked_ at you; brian, you’ve been blessed by the god himself!” jae wails in reply, laughing away. he gives brian’s hand a squeeze, nudging his side, before returning to ethereal moment displayed in full colour, in full view.

brian keeps his eyes on jae. the light plays with his eyes, his lips, and as the song ends, brian leans closer to plant a kiss right on those full lips. jae squeals, surprised, but kisses him back, their eyes wide open to devour each other, the sight of one another. onstage, as sungjin strums the last chord, he chuckles into the mic.

“folks, looks like we’ve got the couple of the night,” he jokes, sending the crowd erupting. when they finally pull away, all swollen lips and sweaty, jae flushes even harder, brian a similar shade. wonpil laughs into the mic, and dowoon waves a drumstick in the air over-excitedly.

with that, sungjin smiles at them warmly, his fingers already strumming the strings softly. “for these two up here, we’re going to play _i like you_. sing along if you know it!” a beat of the drums, cymbals, keys. the song is set, the voice harmonious, the music alluring.

despite being the taller of the two, jae leans close, his head resting on brian’s shoulder as they sway to the music. brian likes this, likes this moment, likes the feel of their hands gripped tightly together and never letting go. likes him.

 

_i like you_

_i tried to hold it down_

_but i can’t do it anymore_

 

“to more years with the one i trusted my future with, huh,” jae says into brian’s ear, before pecking the skin under there quietly. brian taps the boy’s foot. jae taps it back.

 

_took me a long time_

_to say this_

_i want to love you_

  


**Author's Note:**

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